Queens Council on the Arts (QCA), the Long Island City-based nonprofit dedicated to fostering and developing the arts across the borough, announced that Rodney Fuller has been named the organization’s interim executive director.
Fuller will oversee day-to-day operations and QCA programming and play a key role in the organization’s search for its permanent director following the retirement of Hoong Yee Krakauer, who led QCA for more than two decades.
For more than 25 years, Fuller has held leadership roles at various nonprofits in New York City, New York state and the tri-state area. He has extensive experience and has been formally trained through the Support Center for Nonprofit Management.
Prior to joining QCA, Fuller served in executive roles at the Police Athletic League, Fresh Youth Initiatives, Public Allies New York, The Rensselaer Institute and the Boys and Girls Club of Newark.
“QCA is a highly respected arts council that has supported thousands of artists throughout Queens over the course of its 56-year history,” Fuller said. “QCA’s role supporting artists and arts organizations is critical to our vibrant and diverse borough. I look forward to working with the board, staff, artists and funders to ensure that we have a thriving and supported Queens’ arts community for years to come.”
Founded in 1966, QCA provides a diverse portfolio of funding, professional development and resources for Queens’ artists, who represent more than 157 nationalities. From its initial home in the Oak Ridge golf house at Forest Park, QCA moved to the Kaufman Arts District in Astoria before relocating to its new headquarters in Long Island City last summer.
The multipurpose space features artist’s studios, a performance space, and staff offices all devoted to supporting the borough’s diverse arts community. In the past year, QCA directly served approximately 3,200 individual artists, 60 arts organizations and an audience of nearly 550,000 throughout Queens.
“Rodney has a proven track record as a results-driven leader with a skill set that will help QCA become a much stronger organization that can play an even greater role in supporting our amazing Queens’ artists,” said Joe LoBello, interim board president of QCA. “Our future is bright and we are excited to have someone of Rodney’s experience to lead us into the new year and to transform our future. On behalf of the board, we thank Hoong Yee for her years of service and look forward to working with Rodney to expand on our role supporting Queens’ artists.”
